Swimming device.



A. R. MERRILL.

SWIMMING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- a, 1915.

1 1 86 4: 1 3. Patented June 6, 1916.

TH! COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60-. WASHINGTON, n. c.

ARCHER R. MERRILL, -015 MIDDLETON, .WYOMING.

' SWIMMING nEvIoE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1916.

Application filed September 8, 1915. Serial N 0. 49,511.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARCHER R. MERRILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Middleton, in the county of Hot Springs, State of WVyoming, have. invented certain new and useful Improvements in Swimming Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention is directed to swimming devices, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which will enable a person to propel the device through the water.

A further object of the invention is to provide a swimming device so constructed that the swimmer will be enabled to dive with the device.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a swimming device so constructed that a person may lie thereon and propel the device through the water manually.

With these and other objects in view, this invention resides in the novel features of construction, formation, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a top plan View of the device. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the device. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig; 4 is a detail view of one of the handles and adjacent end of the bar, partly in section to more clearly illustrate the mode of connection of the handle to the bar.

Referring to the drawing 1 indicates the float board, which is elongated and has its forward end rounded, as at 2, so as to reduce the resistance during the travel of the 7 board through the water. The board is provided with spaced longitudinal openings 3 to accommodate the legs of the swimmer when the device is in use. Journaled in bearings l, which are secured to the under surface of the board 1, and adjacent the rear end thereof is a shaft 5 which has pivotally connected thereto pedal shafts 6, which are equipped with pedals 7. The shaft 5 has fixed thereto the beveled gear 8, the purpose of which will appear later. The pivoted ends of the pedal shafts 6 are forked,

as at 9, and support the spring actuated pawls 11. Journaled longitudinally of the board 1 is a shaft 12, the forward end of which has fixed'thereto a beveled gear 13, which meshes with the gear 8. The rear end of the shaft 12 has fixed thereto a screw propeller 14. A bracket 15 is supported by the rear end of the board 1 and has pivotall connected thereto the rudder 16, the shaft 1 of which has fixed thereto a cross bar 18, the purpose of which will appear later.

Pivotally connected at its center to the under surface of the board 1, and adjacent the forward end thereof is a bar 19, said bar belng connected with the bar 18 by cords 20. Thus it will be seen that when the bar 19 is oscillated that similar movement will be imparted to the rudder 16, thereby causing the rudder to a1d 1n propelling the device. It

will be of course understood that the rudder may be operated to guide the device, and is preferably made from flexible material, such as light steel.

The bar 19 is oscillated by the handles 21, which are pivotally connected to the ends of the bar 19 by screws 22. Fixed to the handles 21 are blades 23, and since the han-.

dles 21 are pivotally connected to the bar 19, it is obvious that the handles may be moved so asto shift the blades 23 to such a position that the device will be caused to dive and rise to the surface.

In use the swimmer lies upon the board 1 and by constantly working the legs the shaft .5 is rotated, which action imparts rotary movement to the gear 8, through the medium of the pawls 11, which intermittently engage the ratchets 24, which are fixed to the shaft 5, thus rotating the shaft 5, and through the medium of the gears 8 .and 13, the propeller.

l/Vhat is claimed is 1. A device of the class described, comprising a float board, a bar pivotally connected thereto, handles ro-tatably connected to the ends of the bar, blades carried by the handles and adapted to be simultaneously shifted when the handles are rotated, and means for propelling the board.

2. A device of the class described compris- '7 ing a float board, means for manually propelling the board, a bar pivotally connected to the board, screws connected to the ends of the bar, handles carried by thevscrews and pivotally connected thereto, blades fixed In testimony whereof, I affix my signato the handles, a rudder, rileans for flexibly ture, in the presence of two witnesses. connecting the rudder anc bar, said blades being shifted simultaneously with the rota- ARCHER MERRILL 5 tion of the handles, whereby said board may lVitnesses:

be directed upwardly or downwardly in the B. BUHAUH, water. A. A. BUHAUH copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0'. 

